Improved hawse-pipe stopper



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IMBROVBD I EAWSE-PIPE STOPPER.

iige stimule maar in' in lips haar zlttnt mit mating put ut tige sume.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JAMESV STEWART, of Bangor, in the county of Penobscot, and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Hawse-Pipe Stopper; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of refel ence marked thereon, making a part of this speciiieation, in which-- 1 i Figure 1 is a perspective view.

Figure 2 is .a vertical section; and

Figure 3 is a detached view.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures. The nature of' my invention consists in applying to the inner end of the pipe, through which a vessel's chain cable passes, (and which is known as a hawse pipe,) a metallic plate fitting closely to said pipe, and upon which are pivoted two other plates, having upon the inner edge of each two semicireular indentations corresponding to the half diameter of the iron,v from which the links of the cable are formed, and which, when closed together, t closely to said links. l

p To enable others skilledin the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation. i

A represents a section of the bow of a vessel; B is the hawse pipe, which is formed in the usual manner vexcept its'inner end, which, instead of being eut at an angle corresponding to its Obliquity to the side of the vessel, should be eut at right angles to the axis of the pipe, and a chock, as shown at D, should receive the inner end of the pipe. d is a plate, formed with ahole through it of the same size as the bore. of the hawse pipe'. This'platel form with an angle so that it bearsupon the after and upper side `of' chock I), and it is made to t water-tight to the end of the hawse pipe. aa are two plates, which are pivoted at their lower ends to plate (Z, in such manner that they may be thrown apart or their inner edges brought together. Upon the inner edges of each' of theseplates are formed two semieircular grooves orindentations, In b, of a size and distance apart to correspond with the size of iron and width of the chain-links. c is a clasp, hinged to the top of plate d, and wl1ich,'when the plates aa are brought together, closes over and 'secures them in Vthat position. This invention is designed for use, especially, upon vessels which have their windlass upon the lower or main deck, as almost all sea-going and coastwisc Steamers do; many of which carry their chains bent at all times; and in Arough weather, especially with a head sea,, have their between decks flooded with water pouring in through the hawse pipes, or else endeavor to close them with oakum, canvas, or such material, which, to be at all eiectual, must be forced in hard, and then by swelling holds the chain Aso firmly that it cannot run out when the anchor is let go, and the ship is often thereby endangered or lost. f But with this invention it is only necessary to place the link upon edge, close the plates aa together and secure them by clasp c, when the hawse pipe is as tight as any part of the ship, while in a moment the chain'may be liberated ready for letting the anchor go. The plates a a may be formed, as shown, with grooves to fit the chain, or they may be formed to receive dies having in them the grooves bb, whereby the same size of plates would serve for a variety of sizes of cable; and if desired a rubber or other elastic packing may be combined with the plates a a.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

The plates ad, in combination with hawse pipe B, when arranged to operate iti-manner substantially as described and shown.

JAMES STEWART.

Witnesses:

H. L. MITCHELL,A WILLIAM TODD. 

